Blind Date
by Nyssane
Summary: Buggy feels Cabaji is becoming too emotional so he plans on hooking up him and...Mohji?


"Blind Date"

Cabaji stood patiently by the door, a bouqet of roses in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. It had been a while since he had returned to land, let alone went on a date. A _blind_ date at that. His foot began tapping nervously. He couldn't stop wondering if the girl Buggy set him up with would be a total knockout or if he should start planning a swift get-a-way. As the door swung open, he knew it was the latter.

"Mohji!" Cabaji yelped. In the doorway stood a well-groomed Mohji with a smug grin on his face. "Buggy said he was going to set me up with a beautiful woman! You're not a beautiful woman!"

"Oh, you're a clever one, Sherlock," Mohji said, rolling his eyes and adjusting his black neck tie. "And he did _not_ say that."

Three days ago.

"Cabaji, I'm worried for you. You just sit in your room all day writing sad poetry! I'm beginning to think if we came across the Strawhats again, you'd be too busy sobbing like a baby to wield a sword!" Buggy said. He began to pat Cabaji on the shoulder. "When was the last time you got any action?"

"Well, not since the Loguetown incident with the marines..." Cabaji said.

"M-m-marines?" Buggy's face grimaced as he pictured his chief of staff in bed with several marine men. Cabaji nodded and smiled with excitement, remembering the fierce battle at Loguetown. "N-now...you got odd tastes but that's okay, I'm not one to judge." Cabaji stared at his captain confusingly. "I'm going to set you up on a date. Someone very...beautiful, to get your mind off all that lovelorn mumbo jumbo you write. We'll be hitting land in a few days, I'll give you your date's...address then."

"O...okay..." Cabaji said, mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety coursing through his body.

Around the corner, Mohji smiled to himself and rubbed his hands together. This would be the perfect opportunity to make a fool out of Cabaji. He hated him ever since he used Richie as a shield while going up against the rubber man. As he noticed Buggy walking away from Cabaji, he ran up behind the captain.

"Captain Buggy, sir!" Mohji called out. Buggy turned around. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with second mate Cabaji. I think I may be of some...service."

Buggy grimaced again, realizing he needs to find some new crewmates.

Present.

Mohji laughed to himself. He glanced down at Cabaji's hands. "Flowers and candy for me? You shouldn't have!" He snatched them out of Cabaji's grasp.

"I didn't," Cabaji responded bitterly.

"So, where are we going for our date?" Mohji asked.

"Home."

"Wha? But Cabaji, the boss wants you to --"

"--To what? Go on a date with another guy!"

"To be happy..."

Cabaji was speechless and realized Buggy _did_ set the whole thing up, and it would dishonor him to just disregard the whole thing. He sighed. "Fine."

He turned around and started walking. Behind him, Mohji eagerly shut the door and ran after him. _This is perfect_, he thought. _Wait until the entire crew hears about Cabaji's love for men. Kya ha ha ha!_

A little while later...

The pair were sitting across from each other in a fancy restaurant, Cabaji sipping his red wine delicately, while Mohji was digging into his pasta.

"Mmm, mm, thish shure beatsh sheafood any day!" Mohji said, his mouth filled to the brim with food. Cabaji sighed, noticing a pretty woman a few tables away smirking at him. He smiled back. He looked back at Mohji, who was staring back at him with complete contempt. He realized Cabaji was looking at him and quickly went back to eating his food, hoping Cabaji didn't notice a thing. Cabaji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow over this.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Mohji asked, indicating Cabaji's plate of food. He sighed and shook his head, pushing his plate in Mohji's direction. "Thanksh!"

"Mohji, this is ridiculous. I'm going home."

"No! Wait!" Mohji swallowed what was left in his mouth and grabbed Cabaji's hand, a pleading look on his face. Cabaji never expected Mohji to ever plead, at least not seriously. He was always the silly type, cracking jokes and making funny facial expressions, but this expression sent a bolt through Cabaji's entire body. "We...we never hang out! I know nothing about you. Please, just stay?"

Cabaji sighed and sat back into his seat.

"So...you really hate Zoro, huh?" Mohji asked.

"Yeah. He got lucky when he defeated me, it won't happen again," Cabaji replied.

"Well, the boss seems to think you're losing skill," Mohji smiled deviously.

"The boss thinks wrong."

"I dunno, all you seem to do is lock yourself in your room. What do you do in there, anyway? You dirty boy..."

Cabaji looked away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," Mohji said.

"I long for someone to love...a reason for living. Someone I can protect, someone who will hold my hand through the darkest forests and travel with me on the deepest seas. Someone who accepts me for who I am."

Mohji's grin faded as Cabaji spoke, and he looked down, aimlessly running his fork through his food.

After dinner...

"Oh, fowl fiend! I shall smite you with my sword!"

"God, this is boring," Mohji sighed.

"I happen to enjoy the theatre," Cabaji said, focusing his attention back to the stage.

"You would," Mohji muttered. "Who's that guy?"

"He's the knight."

"Then who's the chick?"

"The princess that the knight is trying to save," Cabaji said, his eyebrow twitching from slight irritation.

"Then...what's that big green blob?"

"That's the dragon that kidnapped the princess."

"Who was the guy in the beginning?"

"THE ANNOUNCER! GOD!" Cabaji screamed. Everyone in the theatre glared at him and "shh!"ed. He growled to himself.

"I need some more popcorn. You want some?"

"No!"

Mohji shrugged and walked off. The girl next to Cabaji nudged him gently.

"Your boyfriend's really cute," she said.

"He's not my boyfriend. I'm not--"

"Don't worry, I think it's freakin' adorable," the girl giggled and went back to watching the show. Cabaji looked over to see Mohji walking down the steps to get out of the theatre. Suddenly, Mohji tripped over his fancy shoe laces and fell down the stairs. Everyone gasped, but Mohji just got up and cursed to himself, rubbing his head. Cabaji couldn't help but laugh.

After the show...

Mohji and Cabaji sat next to each other on a park bench. It was a beautiful night, the stars were shining, the moon was full, and the crickets were chirping romantically. Mohji stared up in the sky.

"I wonder how stars get up so high," Mohji said.

"They're stars. That's what they do," Cabaji replied.

"Yeah...when I die, I hope my spirit will be able to fly up in the sky with the stars. To be one with the entire sky. And then...maybe I can be with her..." Mohji said, staring off dreamily.

"Who?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing!" Mohji blushed.

"No, tell me."

"...My grandmother. Even when I was little, I liked to wear my hair in different styles. Everyone used to make fun of me for that. I didn't have any friends, and my parents were ashamed of me. My grandma was the only one who seemed to really care for me. But...she passed away before I could ever thank her for everything she's done for me. If it weren't for my power to control animals, I'd be...completely alone."

Cabaji smiled, realizing the depth to his crewmate he never had seen before. They sat staring at the stars in silence.

The two walked back to Mohji's. Outside, Mohji glared at Cabaji playfully and Cabaji smiled.

"You know, you're not so bad," Cabaji said. "I thought you were some annoying, silly, pathetic dufus --"

"--I take offense to that!" Mohji interrupted.

"But I guess I was wrong," Cabaji finished.

"Well, well, this is unexpected. So...we're friends now?"

"I dunno about friends, but...yeah, I guess we're friends."

"Not...more than friends?" Mohji mocked.

"Never in a million years," Cabaji responded. Mohji began laughing and opened his door. "See you later." Cabaji started walking away.

"Wait! One more thing," Mohji said. Cabaji turned around, and immediately felt Mohji's lips pressed against his. Mohji swiftly ran into the house before Cabaji could say or do anything, laughing all the while.

Cabaji stood still for a few seconds. He smiled and turned around, beginning to walk off.

"Hey, Cabaji!" Mohji yelled. Cabaji turned around yet again and looked up at the window Mohji was standing at. "I'll travel through dark forests and deep seas with you!" Mohji shouted, the same pleading look on his face as before. The look changed into a smile as Mohji noticed Cabaji's stunned expression. "I'm just kidding, jeez," he said softly, and closed the window.


End file.
